Kerala govt plans tax incentive to boost source-level waste management
Disposal of biodegradable waste remains a major challenge for the local self-government department (LSGD) and its source-level management remains low despite the state government's flagship cleanliness campaign, 'Malinya Muktha Nava Keralam'.
A recent survey by the LSGD revealed that only 23% of households currently manage waste at source, prompting the government to think about incentives to woo the people to its processing at place of origin. The survey launched by the Suchitwa Mission in 94.58 lakh households found that only 25.12 lakh households possess some kind of waste management infrastructure like kitchen bins, ring compost, biogas plant or composting pits.
LSGD Minister M B Rajesh told TNIE that the 5% discount is under government's serious consideration. 'Though the (Malinya Muktha Nava Keralam) campaign helped the local bodies in improving overall waste management, it failed to generate the expected impact on households. We want more households to adopt source-level waste management systems,' he said.
Centralised waste management facilities are only for major cities and will focus only on bulk waste generators, Rajesh said.
'A final decision on the tax discount will be announced next week after analysing its financial impact on the local bodies,' the minister added.
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